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To continue- I'm looking into how to define critical thinking, or at least how others invested in the topic are defining it, and I've found this which looks ok to me. Let me know what you think. I have found an apparent teacher on some other website using your example as an example of criticle thinking and I'm curious if students are being taught that, that is what critical thinking is.
I dunno. The elementary school teachers of the scientists who put Neil Armstrong on the moon didn't have "teach them critical thinking" at the top of their curricula. But I suspect memorizing the multiplication table was there.
I only offered my word problem up as a very minor example.
And...probably most of our kids graduating our schools these days...could not have figured out how to solve the problem.
THAT was my real point.
Kids are taught answers.
They are taught concepts.
They are NOT taught how and when to apply them.
I agree, although we seem to be a ways from critical thinking. This discussion is more about being basically educated and I'm sure that's a concern across the board. I suspect as a society that we do not generally embrace critical thinking, which if we use some of the qualities listed above, can be exampled by religion, quackery, and blog citing.
A really good teacher teaches you how to USE THEM.
Sure, makes sense. I'm not looking to get all technical, rather accurate. If we're going to use these words, and more importantly if teachers are going to use these words and ideas, it should be understood is all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk
I dunno. The elementary school teachers of the scientists who put Neil Armstrong on the moon didn't have "teach them critical thinking" at the top of their curricula. But I suspect memorizing the multiplication table was there.
I don't see teaching it as a tool in the elementary school teacher's tool box. For scientists it's likely something learned over time via experience.
I dunno. The elementary school teachers of the scientists who put Neil Armstrong on the moon didn't have "teach them critical thinking" at the top of their curricula. But I suspect memorizing the multiplication table was there.
Actually, most of them probably were taught critical thinking at the elementary school level. At least in this country. I'd guess the same would be true for the scientists educated in Germany. Learning/teaching the multiplication table in those days is a given.
Uncle Sam picked the best and the brightest for the space program and teachers in those days taught a great deal more than the elementary school teachers of today.
If you ask ME...and "excellent" teacher is not one who teaches to the test, teaches kids to puke up an answer on demand, in order to pass this or that test.
The excellent teacher is one who teaches critical thinking to his/her students...and, unfortunately, there is no measuring stick that can measure this.
Here's an example of what I mean...it is one of my favorite questions to ask someone:
Imagine a man, six feet tall, were to walk around the Earth at the Equator - 25,000 miles.
How much further would his head travel than his feet?
I am not going to answer this question right now...but there IS a legitimate answer to the question...and a legitimate method to getting the answer.
I'll give you a hint:
I could tell you the answer, and teach you to puke it up on demand...but what would you do now, if I asked the same question...but, this time, it was a five-foot-tall woman? Could you answer it then?
The teacher who teaches the METHOD...his/her students could. The teacher who teaches only to the test...his/her students couldn't.
And that is the problem with these standardized tests that are supposed to grade a good teacher versus a not-so-good teacher.
The great teacher makes their subject interesting, so that his/her students pay attention and learn. The way in which a teaches does this could be many and varied.
The great teacher makes their subject interesting, so that his/her students pay attention and learn. The way in which a teaches does this could be many and varied.
It does not teach the derivation of the Pythagorean theorem. It simply gives one example with a movie character the kids may like, but it is in no way great teaching. It's more entertainment than education.
It does not teach the derivation of the Pythagorean theorem. It simply gives one example with a movie character the kids may like, but it is in no way great teaching. It's more entertainment than education.
The teacher in this case may have made it INTERESTING to the students, thus making them more likely to retain the information.
Actually, most of them probably were taught critical thinking at the elementary school level. At least in this country. I'd guess the same would be true for the scientists educated in Germany. Learning/teaching the multiplication table in those days is a given.
Nah, not really. I was there then, and in a fairly forward-looking elementary school. There wasn't really a concept of "critical thinking." It was all "learn the basics solidly."
Last edited by toobusytoday; 12-22-2013 at 05:22 AM..
At the beginning of this thread, I stated that the rhetoric of "failing schools" took off with NCLB and the thread still kind of went in that direction. Overall, it's been really interesting to read various teacher beliefs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DewDropInn
Actually, most of them probably were taught critical thinking at the elementary school level. At least in this country. I'd guess the same would be true for the scientists educated in Germany. Learning/teaching the multiplication table in those days is a given.
Uncle Sam picked the best and the brightest for the space program and teachers in those days taught a great deal more than the elementary school teachers of today.
Please back this up. I see the idea of the golden age of education stated a lot and coupled with the concept of "failing" schools. It's pretty easy to make it seem like there was magical age where teachers were educational wizards when nearly every other country is still recovering from WWII besides the US and/or countries were just beginning the process of modernization. There were several international assessments in math and science given in the 60's and then readministered later that found that US students were mid table performers(just like now!), but for some reason, this narrative about "failing schools" and the US losing its economic advantage keeps getting peddled. The US was an economic and creative giant back then and the US will continue to be an economic and creative giant. Meanwhile minority students and those in poverty keep getting the shaft as we continue our hyper focus on scores instead of addressing the structural issues and power differences that allow these things to persist.
And let's not mistake any of that to mean that we should throw our hands up and do nothing until something is done about it. There are little small things that we can do to better ourselves as professionals and empower our students and their families like valuing their contributions no matter how small or applying for a grant to use in the classroom.
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